Predicting the Academic Success of Community College Students in Specific Programs of Study.

Yess, James P.

The intent of this study was to determine the influence of selected independent variables on the graduating grade point average (GPA) of community college students in various programs of study. A sample of 483 students from one community college represented seven programs of study: Business Administration-General, Business Administration-Transfer, Executive Secretarial, Law Enforcement, Liberal Arts, Engineering Technology, and Nursing Education. Other independent variables compiled for each student included age, gender, marital status, career objectives, Scholastic Aptitude Test verbal and mathematical scores (SATV and SATM), and high school math and English GPA and background. Forward stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to identify the relative ability of the independent variable to predict the graduating GPA. Results indicated that each program had its own predictive character, since variables in the analysis were not selected uniformly for each program. Overall, predictors which consistently accounted for variance in GPA were high school English average, and SATV and SATM scores. Secretarial, and Nursing programs, marital status also appeared as a significant predictor of student success. A literature review and recommendations for use of findings in admissions and academic counseling are included. (DR)